Monday, July 12, 2010

How to Afford Date Night


posted by Michele Olson


Couples always talk about the importance of date night, but in today’s economy…the change in the couch may be long gone. Here are a few ideas to help you afford a date night, and keep it on your calendar.

1) Get in on the calendar and don’t deviate from your plan.
It’s often been said the people who fail to plan, plan to fail. Your best intentions will not get you on a date. You have to schedule it and not see it as less important than any other event you schedule. Often we’ll see cancelling with our loved ones as less important that we would if we were cancelling with someone we were trying to impress for work. Set your date and stick to it. (Barring locust plagues and chicken pox only!)

2) Open a piggy bank just for your dates. Put your spare change every day, or designate $1 a day to go to the date fund. By putting small amounts away, you will always have some “fun money” to spend on a date. Do you cut coupons? Take the savings you received from being a smart shopper and designate that to go to your date night.

3) Check your cities newspaper and website. There are usually free events at museums, parks and all around town that can provide entertainment with little or no cost. You might even find a low cost high school or community play to attend.

4) Pay ahead. When you pay ahead for something, you are less likely to bail out and not go…which can help you get in the habit of date night. Explore half price coupons available at websites when you purchase a meal or a ticket.

5) Coffeehouses and book stores. Browse and talk while dreaming of some future plans you would like to do together. Why not spend time in the travel section and get to know where you would go if you had all the money in the world?

Let the creative juices flow. Take turns planning the date night for each other…so it can be a surprise. Get into the fun of being with someone. Make sure you have “date night” forever.


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